


Regaining Confidence (On Hiatus for now)

by CertainVICTORy



Series: Tale of A Champion [4]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Victor has ptsd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24884257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CertainVICTORy/pseuds/CertainVICTORy
Summary: Victor, struggling to deal with his duties as Champion, has taken the offer to train at the Isle of Armor. What adventures will happen in this Newfoundland? (On Hiatus As of September 7)
Relationships: Hop/Masaru | Victor
Series: Tale of A Champion [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1612999
Kudos: 61





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, JJ here and finally the moment of truth! Part four of my Tale of the Champion series!!! I've been dying to work on this and I'm excited to continue my story of Victor! Updates will be random, but I will try to keep up the best as I can. Since I do have other projects I'm working on! Thanks for reading guys!

The bright lights and the loud sound of the crowd, filled my body as I came face to face with Cynthia and her Garchomp. My throat was dry; sweat dripped from my face as my last Pokemon fell to her powerful Pokemon.

“The winner is Cynthia from Sinnoh!” The announcer shouted. The roar of the crowd became nothing more than just excessive ringing in my ears. I slowly picked my head up as I came face to face with her Garchomp.

“Better luck next time, Victor…”

I shot up awake in a cold sweat as the train’s intercom came up.

“Attention passengers. We are approaching the Isle Armor. Please be sure to collect all personal belongings before leaving.” I exhaled and stared out the window as I clutched the case that had the egg in it.

“That nightmare again…” I pulled out the letter that Leon gave me and stared at it. The one thing that could perhaps get me back on my feet after my humiliating defeat at the hands of Cynthia. I thought back when I returned from home, I just wanted to shut myself away forever and not deal with the cruel reality, but thanks to Hop, my boyfriend. I managed to get back, but something about all this felt wrong to me. I stood up and gathered my belongings and headed out the train.

“Welcome to the Isle of Armor, young traveler!” A woman in a lab coat approached me and bowed towards me. “You’re new around here, aren’t you.” I nodded as she held out her hand. “Here various new Pokemon roam free, untouched by civilization. Other than the local dojo, there aren’t that many buildings around here.”

“Thanks! Uh, do you mind pointing me in the right direction?” She smiled and nodded,

“If you could just bring out your Pokedex, I’ll be happy to update it for you.” I stuck my hand into my pocket and handed her my phone. After a few seconds, she gave it back to me. “There, now it should have a map and listings of various new Pokemon that inhabit this area.”

“Thanks, have a good day.” I bowed to her and went out of the station. As I walked outside, my jaw dropped as I saw the vast ocean in front of me. Many new Pokemon ran around the tall grass, not a care in the world.

“Wow, this place is amazing! And hot!” I began to sweat as the rapid change in weather was causing my red polo to stick to my body. “Yikes, this heat is unbearable!” I took off my beanie and fanned myself as I walked forward. I spotted two people, out in the distance. They had gym uniforms like the ones the other gym leaders used, but they weren’t the ones I recognized. The lady in pink hair stared at me with a piercing gaze that sent shivers up my spine.

“Look who finally decided to show up!” I raised my brow at her as she and the man walked up to me.

“Are you talking about me?” She smiled at me and nodded,

“There’s no one else! I’m Klara and this is, Avery, we are here as senior members of the Dojo to escort the new blood to the Dojo.” I looked over at Avery, who had Pokeballs floating around his tall hat.

“Dojo? The letter never mentioned anything about a Dojo? I was sent here because.” Just then, Avery shook his head and scoffed at me.

“Enough, chit-chat! Whatever this letter is, it’s not important to the task at hand. You are to follow us to the dojo if you are to prove your worth!”

“Hey, Avery, why not battle the kid to see if he’s truly worthy?” Klara snickered at me as I bit my lip. A battle; now? Not a chance…I’m not going to put my Pokemon through that again.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to pass on the battle if that’s okay.” Klara stomped her foot, causing me to jump back in surprise.

“What kind of trainer are you to turn down a challenge?” I turned my head away and stared at the ground.

“I’m sorry, I just have a lot going on right now.” Avery glared at me, and suddenly, I felt something that squeezed my chest slightly. I stared back at Avery, who began to sweat.

“There’s something about this kid...I can’t place my finger on it, but Klara, we should just forget him and go!” She looked at Avery and tilted her head,

“What? Why?”

“That kid is bad news, I can feel it.” He grabbed her arm, and they ran off towards the fields.

“Hey, wait!” I watched as they disappeared in a flash, leaving me alone.

“I wonder what caused him to get scared like that.” I held the egg close to me and rubbed my hand over it. “Don’t worry, little guy! Just because Hop’s not here doesn’t mean you have to be alone! You have me!” My smile dropped as I thought back to Hop. The guy who’s been by my side for a while now, up until now.

“I hope you’re doing okay, Hop. I already miss you.” I continued to walk along the beach, staring at the new Pokemon as they dashed away from me. “I wonder if I’ll be able to get back in top form again?” I crouched down and set the case next to me as I felt the warm sand between my fingers. The wind began to pick up, blowing more sand close to my face.

_ ‘Sand…’  _ Suddenly I saw an image of Garchomp, walking towards me as the sand around me began to kick up. 

“No...stay back!” I watched as Garchomp snarled at me and roared in my face. I fell back and hit my head against the case, causing it to fall out and roll away from me. “Wait!” I stood up and ran towards the egg as rolled away. I chased it around the beach and smiled as it slowed to a stop.

“Now, I got you!” I went to pick it up, but suddenly, a Diglett appeared from underneath it. I blinked and rubbed my eyes as I saw a little tuft of hair on top of its head.

“Am I dreaming? Or does that Diglett have hair?” It blinked at me for a few seconds, while balancing the egg on its head and ran off towards the field.

“Hey!” I ran after the Diglett onto a nearby bridge. It stopped and faced me as I approached it. “Now, why do you have to do a thing like that?”

“Diglett? Is that you?” I heard a voice call out towards me as a hiker ran towards me. “There, you are! I’ve been looking all around for you!”

“Digi!” It twirled, causing the egg to jump into the air. I ran forward and caught it with my hands and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Oh, I’m so sorry about that!” The hiker bowed to me as I smiled at him.

“It’s alright! I wasn’t feeling myself lately, and it was nice to get some exercise!” I laughed as I rubbed the egg and hugged it.

“You look new; you should go check by the Dojo! It’s just beyond this bridge, over there.” He pointed behind him, and my jaw dropped as the towering building loomed over.

“How’d did I miss that?” I thanked the Hiker and went on my way towards the Dojo. There I saw Klara and Avery, who was talking with a woman in green.

“Is it true that our newest student went home?” Klara nodded and smiled.

“Yep, it seems that way! I did all I could to welcome him, but he just went up and left!” Avery brushed back his hair and shook his head.

“The welcome was perfect! But it seems he didn’t want to join the Dojo.” The woman frowned and crossed his arms.

“That’s a shame. I was hoping to welcome him into our family too.” As I walked up, she turned towards me and smiled. “Oh? Who are you, love?” Klara and Avery looked over at me and threw their hands back.

“What?” I watched as the woman approached me and smiled at me.

“You must be the new member of the Dojo! It looks like you were able to join us!” I tilted my head and nodded,

“I guess I am?” Just then, Klara and Avery ran towards me and placed their hands on my shoulders.

“Oh, it looks like you changed your mind!” Klara pinched my cheeks, causing it to go red.

“Yes, it’s so nice of you to join our family, little one!” Avery ruffled my beanie, almost slamming his hand down on my head. The woman walked up to me and grabbed my free hand.

“Oh, joyous! It’s nice to meet you finally! My name is Honey, and I keep this place up and running!” 

“I’m Victor; it’s nice to meet you.” I bowed to her and looked at the building behind her. “So, this is the Dojo?”

“That is correct! It’s a nice little home away from home! Do come inside! I’m sure everyone is dying to meet you!” She walked towards the Dojo with a slight spring in her step. Just then, I felt Avery and Klara staring at me.

“Listen here, Victor. If you tell Ms. Honey about what happened at the station, we will smite you where you stand!” Klara smiled and walked away as Avery scoffed at me.

“Best to learn your place now!” They headed off towards the Dojo, leaving me alone.

“Great, new rivals...let’s hope they don’t end up like my friends now.” I laughed and walked towards the entrance, but felt a strange presence staring at me. 

“Huh?” I looked up and saw; nothing…”That was odd.” I looked down at my egg and smiled. “Well, I suppose it’s not so bad! I got a decently warm welcome, let’s go forward on our new adventure!” With that, I headed inside the Dojo.


	2. Chapter 2

I walked into the Dojo and marveled at how homie it felt to me. I saw a few trainers in yellow robes, actively training with their Pokemon. Ms. Honey walked forward and cleared her throat.

“Attention, everyone! We have a new student joining us, please welcome, Victor into our home! I’m sure you all have lots to teach him!” They all bowed to me and shouted.

“WELCOME, VICTOR!” I smiled and bowed back.

“Thank you for welcoming me into your home! I’ll do my best to learn from all of you!” Suddenly I heard someone approach me and saw a boy with light brown hair who wore a pink sweater. He had some sort of earpiece on his head as he looked me up and down.

“Now, there’s someone who looks out of place around here.” He crossed his arms as I darted my eyes away from him. “He does look familiar, but I can’t place my finger on it.”

“You must be mistaking me for someone else, sorry!” I waved my hand around and laughed as Ms. Honey walked up to the boy.

“Hello there, sweetie pie! It’s unlike you to greet guests! This is Hyde, my son!” I nodded and shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Victor.” 

“Hmmph, you look lost.”

“What?” Hyde nodded and shrugged,

“I don’t know, but you feel sort of off for some reason. But it’s none of my business, be seeing you.” He walked off back to his room.

“Oh, don’t mind him, Victor, he’s a good kid, he might come off as a bit blunt, but he’s a kind person.” Ms. Honey rested her hand on my shoulder and smiled at me.

“That’s alright. I don’t mind.” 

_ ‘He’s right, though.’  _ I thought as Ms. Honey pointed to an older man on the far side of the Dojo.

“This is my darling of a hubby, the master of the Dojo!” The man turned around and struck a pose as he smiled at me.

“Well, hello there! I’m Mustard! I’m rather good a Pokemon battles, you know! I’m pleased as cheese to meet ya!” I laughed and smiled as I walked up.

“Cheesed to meet you!” Mustard laughed and placed his hands on his hips.

“Hehe, I’m glad to see that you have a good sense of humor too!” Ms. Honey turned to me and shook her head.

“Don’t let him fool you, thinking he’s just some silly old man.”

_ ‘With a name like Mustard, it’s kind of hard not too, and I thought Hop had a silly name,’  _ I mused to myself as I stared at the master.

“Darling, I leave the rest up to you!” Ms. Honey walked away as Mustard approached me.

“Yay, this is my favorite part! Let me see how good you really are?” He walked up to me and nodded,

“Wait, you mean like a battle?” He smiled and stared at me in the eye.

“Yep, I always test out the strength of newcomers, you will partake correct?”

“I don’t know…” I looked away and bit my lip.

“Unless, something is holding you back from battling, dear boy?” I stared back at Mustard and gave him a single nod.

“I’ll do it!” He smiled wide and walked towards the battle circle.

“Excellent, let’s begin shall we!” I gave my egg to Ms. Honey as I walked toward Mustard. One of the students ran forward and nodded at both of us.

“Each will be using one Pokemon! Whoever knocks out the other first is the victor!” 

“But he’s Victor!” Mustard laugh causing the students to chuckle a bit, “Sorry, about that lad, I couldn’t resist.”

“That’s alright; it’s always nice to have a laugh before battle!” I grabbed my Pokeball and tossed it to the sky. “Go, Lucario!” Lucario stretched and looked back at me and sighed. I stared at him and shook my head, and waited for Mustard to send out his Pokemon.

“Wow, a Lucario! You must be one strong trainer to obtain such a powerful Pokemon! Go, Meinfoo!” I pulled out my Rotomdex and snapped a photo of it.

_ ‘Bzzt, Bzzt, it’s good to see you again, Vic! Let’s see; this is Meinfoo the Martial Arts Pokemon, and a pure Fighting-type Pokemon! Though small, Mienfoo’s temperament is fierce. Any creature that approaches Mienfoo carelessly will be greeted with a flurry of graceful attacks. In one minute, a well-trained Mienfoo can chop with its arms more than 100 times. Watch out, Vic! It looks strong!’  _ It flew back into my pocket in a flash.

“Oh, a Pokedex! How intriguing!” Mustard scratched his chin and nodded, “You must be a strong trainer.”

“Not anymore,” I whispered as I stared at the ground.

“Hmm? Did you say something, boy?” I shook my head and smiled,

“It’s nothing, just talking to myself. Lucario, use Force Palm!” Lucario rushed forward, with his palm, glowing bright white.

“Not bad, Meinfoo, use Force Palm as well!” Meinfoo charged its palm and connected with Lucario’s own hand causing sparks to fly around the small battlefield.

“Hang in there, Lucario!” I shouted as Lucario was being forced back slightly.

“A strong Pokemon indeed! Meinfoo, use U-turn!” Meinfoo pushed Lucario back and jumped into the air and bounced around the support beams of the Dojo.

“Stay focused, buddy!” I called out to Lucario and closed my eyes, but froze when I couldn’t feel anything. ‘What’s _ going on? I can’t connect to Lucario….’  _ I opened my eyes as I heard the cries of Lucario being assaulted by the Meinfoo. “Lucario!” I bit my lip as Meinfoo bounced around and attacked my Pokemon.

“Have you given up already? Where’s all that bravado from before, Victor?” Mustard was taunting me at this point, which irked me for some reason.

“Don’t look down on me! Lucario, use Aura Sphere!” Lucario charged a ball of blue energy and shot it towards Meinfoo, landing a direct hit and knocking it to the ground. “Okay, let’s finish this and use Force Palm!” Lucario rushed forward and slammed his palm into Meinfoo, sending a blast outward around the field. As the dust settled, Meinfood, laid defeated. The whole Dojo grew silent as I returned Lucario back into his Pokeball.

“The winner is Victor!” The referee grabbed my hand and raised it in the air as Mustard smiled wide at me.

“My, my aren’t you a strong lad!” I overheard some students talking about my battle.

“Whoa, did you guys see that?”

“Yeah, this kid is unreal!” 

“Kid must be crazy strong!” I sighed and shook my head.

_ ‘That’s a lie... I’m not who they think I am.’  _ Mustard slapped my back, snapping me back into reality.

“Lad, that was a fantastic battle! You really seem to care about your Pokemon.  _ Even though you came here after suffering a horrifying loss _ .”

“Did you say something, Mustard?” He smiled and shook his head,

“I was saying that you seem to have the will to learn, so I welcome you to our Dojo! I’m sure we will all be able to learn from each other! Welcome aboard!” I bowed to him, and he gave me a uniform.

“What’s this?”

“This is the Dojo’s uniform! Wear it with pride as you train here! You can change over there in the dorms. Afterward, I must speak with all my students,” He pointed towards the nearby room and walked away.

“Thanks, master!” I bowed to him and walked into the dorm rooms to change. As I took off my polo, I caught a glimpse of my chest and sighed at the scar that adorned my body. I slowly traced the, now faded marking over my chest and to my arm and bit my lip.

“All the pain I went through to get this far, was it really worth it?” I looked down at my Rotom phone and saw the picture of Hop and myself smiling happy during our Gym Challenge. I picked it up and grinned as I touched Hop’s face.

“Victor? Are you okay?” Ms. Honey’s voice came through the door as I finished changing.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there!” I looked at myself one last time in the mirror and smiled as I clipped the hair bun in the back of my head. “Looks nice.” I laughed and headed out the door to face my very first day in the Dojo.


	3. Chapter 3

I shut the door behind me and walked towards the main hall. As I rounded the corner, I spotted Avery and Klara, whining at Master Mustard.

“Come on, master, where’s our uniform? Don’t we get one too?” Something about Klara’s voice sounded childish and innocent, but her personality and motives were the exact opposite. She was calculating and mischievous, kind like Hop, but Klara, on the other hand, would probably do almost anything to get whatever she wanted, plus she’s nowhere near the same amount of genuine kindness like him.

“I agree with Klara, it’s completely unfair, unequal even, that a mere child would get one, I demand an item exchange!” I shook my head at Avery’s high and mighty kind of attitude like he deemed his abilities made him far above the rest. I laughed as I thought of Bede, 

_ ‘I wonder if he’s trying to prove something as well?’  _ Mustard looked towards my direction and nodded.

“Ah, Victor, it seems you’re finally able to join us! How does the uniform fit you?”

“It feels comfortable, although the hair clip thing is a bit excessive.”

“Eh, it adds to the immersion.” Mustard turned towards his students and smiled. “Now that we are at max capacity, we can start the Three Trials!”

“The Three Trials?” I watched as the students held their breath at the news. I crossed my arms and tilted my head.

“What’s the Three Trials?” Avery scoffed and looked at me,

“Fitting as a lowly trainer like yourself would know.” I rolled my eyes and giggled.

_ ‘Yep, definitely like Bede.’  _ Mustard cleared his throat and stared at me.

“Anyone who completes the Three Trials will have access to the Dojo’s special secret armor.”

_ ‘Armor?’  _ I perked my head up at the sound of it. “I wonder what it is?” The Dojo roared as they gathered close to Mustard. Klara pushed me out of the way and giggled.

“That armor is mine! Maybe it’s best for you to sit this one out, Vicky.”

_ ‘Vicky? Seriously?  _ I sighed as she held up the uniform in front of my face.

“Best of luck with the trials!” Just then, a group of Slowpokes jumped up and grabbed Klara’s uniform, out of her hands. “Hey! What the?” We watched as they bounced around and bolted out the door in a flash.

“What? I’ve never seen Slowpoke that fast!” Avery stared back at Mustard, who chuckled.

“Well, I guess this is a good way for me to introduce the first trial! I trained these Slowpoke myself, so they are incredibly fast. Catch these Slowpokes trained by little old me, but you must defeat them too! Good luck. Oh, and retrieve Klara’s uniform for her too!”

“WHATTT?” The students watched as Mustard went to his room. They all rushed out of the door, leaving me behind.

“Aren’t you gonna go after them, Victor?” Ms. Honey walked up to me with a concerned look on her face.

“Oh, don’t worry, I will. Those buggers are fast, but I’d rather not go jump into the fray without a plan of action.”

“Well, the longer you wait, the more you’re gonna be left behind.” She walked away as I stared at the ground.

“Yeah, I already know what’s it like to leave someone behind.”

“Did you say something, Victor?” I stared up at her and smiled.

“Nothing!” I walked towards the door but looked over at Hyde, who was hard at work on something. I walked towards him and watched as he tinkered with a machine, but sighed when the device sputtered and spat out smoke.

“This won’t do at all!”

“What’s wrong, Hyde?” He looked up at me and shook his head.

“It’s my Cram-o-Matic! It’s supposed to be the device of the century, but it just keeps on powering down!”

“What does it do?” Hyde spun around in his chair and smiled at me.

“I’m glad you asked! It’s supposed to revolutionize recycling; You just take a few items, and it creates a new one for you! But it lacks the watts to power it up. Sadly my Mom won’t let me go outside and collect some for it.” I took out my phone and walked over to the machine.

  
“I have a few spare watts from my journey.” I pressed the button on my phone and began to power transfers. Hyde watched as his machine sprang to life.

“Wow! It’s on! Victor, that was so kind of you!” I smiled and nodded,

“Well, you seemed a little down, and your invention looks pretty cool!” 

“Thanks! Tell you what, I’ll show you how it works!” He brought out a few tiny mushrooms and stuffed them in the machine. “Just bring four random items of your choosing, press the button and!” The Cramorant-like machine sputtered and hummed and spat out a Large Mushroom in his hands. “There we go!” He handed it to me and motioned for me to get closer. 

_ ‘Use this to help lure the Slowpokes; they love large mushrooms.’  _ I nodded and placed it in my bag. “Good luck, Victor!” I ruffled his hair and smiled,

“You can go ahead and call me Vic, it’s a nickname that I only allow people close to me, call me that.” His eyes lit up as I waved back at him.

“Okay, I’ll be seeing you, Vic! Oh, and we will take good care of your egg for you!” With that, I ran out of the Dojo.

* * *

  
  


“Okay, if I were a Slowpoke, where’d I be?” I looked towards the beach and saw wild ones, but none of them were the fast ones I saw at the Dojo. Just then, my Pokedex popped out of my pocket and lit up.

_ ‘Bzzt, Bzzt, Vic! Vic! I managed to track down the Slowpokes!’ _

“How and when did you manage to do that?”

_ ‘I have my ways!’  _ It showed me a map of the nearby wetlands and circled three locations for me,  _ ‘Right here! They seem pretty powerful, but maybe you can find an alternative to capturing them?’  _

“But you heard what Mustard said; I’d have to defeat them and get Klara’s uniform back. Gotta follow what the Master says, you know.”

_ ‘Is that how you always did it, though?’  _ I looked up at my Rotom and raised a brow.

“What do you mean?”

_ ‘What do you mean, What do I mean? I’ve seen you battle; you used to go by the book on things? Why do so now?’  _ I sighed and shook my head.

“I tried doing things outside the box and look at what happened. You saw what happened back there in Unova. I can’t let that happen to me again.” I stood up and ran towards the wetlands, in hot pursuit of the Slowpokes.

* * *

“Okay, Slowpokes, time to meet your maker!” I slowly crept towards one of them and reached forward, but I then snapped a twig with my shoe, causing the Slowpoke to run away from me. “Hey, wait!” I ran towards it and chased it around the wetlands. I then lunged towards it and ate the dirt as I missed. I rolled over and sighed as my Rotomdex floated over me.

_ ‘Still wanting to do things by the book?’ _

“Maybe…” I groaned as I sat up and watched the other students attempting to capture the Slowpokes. “This is something Hop would do.”

_ ‘Hop wouldn’t allow his boyfriend to be so down on himself.’  _ I blushed and turned away.

“Oh, hush.” I grabbed the Large Mushroom and held my hands out. I immediately saw a flash of pink as the three Slowlpokes began rushing towards me. “Oh, no.” I got the wind knocked out of me as they tackled me into the mud.

“Wow, these guys are fast….and heavy!” I groaned as they licked my face, with big smiles on their faces. I stood up, and they looked up at me as they handed me the uniform from their mouths.

_ ‘You did it, Vic! But the uniform is it bit wet from the saliva.’  _ I laughed as I folded them and took out my bike.

“Well, It’s better than nothing, let’s head back to the Dojo!” I began pedaling and noticed that the Slowpokes were following behind me. I laughed and shook my head.

“Well, I guess that means I passed the first trial.” Just as I was pedaling, I passed by a mysterious figure. My chest began to ache as I lost my balance and fell to the ground.

_ ‘Vic! Are you okay?’  _ I sat up and rubbed my leg as it burned from the impact of the fall.

“Yeah, I’m fine, thank goodness for these kneepads!” I looked back behind me and clutched my chest.

  
_ ‘This feeling...it feels so familiar.’ _


	4. Chapter 4

I walked up towards the dojo and slid open the doors as the Slowpoke came running in. I laughed as they circled master Mustard and Mrs. Honey.

“Welcome back, Victor!” Mustard smiled as I walked up,

“I’m home!” I looked around and noticed it was quieter than usual. “Where’s everyone else?” Just then, Klara, Avery, and the rest of the students burst through from behind me and stared at me.

“Don’t tell me you already found the entire uniform already?” I handed her the clothes and smiled.

“Here, you go, Klara! Sorry, they are a bit wet, on account of the Slowpoke spit.” Her face contorted as she touched the wet spot of her uniform.

“Thanks, I guess…” She frowned as she walked a few steps away from me. 

“How’d you manage to get all three pieces?” Avery stared at me as his Pokeballs floated around his hat. “Well, you are a strong trainer, so naturally, it could’ve been easy for the likes of you!”

“Actually, Avery, I didn’t battle them at all! They sort of came to me!” Avery’s eyes widened as he threw his hands back.

“What? But how?” I laughed and looked towards Hyde, who gave me a thumbs up.

“Well, I just thought outside the box, that’s all! It doesn’t hurt to learn from others.” I nodded towards Hyde, who turned back towards his chair. Mustard laughed and walked towards the center of the dojo.

“Well, mustered, Victor! You cleared the trial like it was nothing!” I smiled and nodded.

“It was a bit troublesome, but I managed in the end! Is my egg okay?” Mustard nodded and pointed towards Mrs. Honey, who walked up.

“It’s safe and sound, Victor.” I rubbed the surface and smiled at it.

“Thank goodness; I’m glad it’s okay.” Mustard then cleared his throat and looked around the room.

“Victor has passed the first trial, but you all did well to at least try! For that, you all get to move on as well, use this as a chance to catch back up!” I smiled at the other students as they all breathed a sigh of relief, but froze when I felt the icy cold stares of Klara and Avery.

_ ‘I miss, Hop, heck, I even miss Bede!’  _ I sighed and watched as Mustard crossed his arms behind his back.

“You are familiar with Dynamaxing? I’m sure you do since you have that band on your arm.”

“Yeah, Dynamaxing changes the form and size of the Pokemon as long as there are Power Spots, and a Dynamax band is present.” Mustard nodded as I stared at my band.

“Then, my boy, are you familiar with Gigantamax?”

“Yeah, it’s when a Pokemon also goes under a physical change in appearance, in addition to size and form. Almost all Pokemon can Dynamax, but only a few can Gigantamax.” Mustard chuckled as he slapped my back.

“Dear boy, you sure are smart!” I shook my head and blushed a bit.

“I only know this because of my boyfriend…”

“Then I’m sure he loves you very much.” 

“Yeah, he really does.” I looked down and stared at the promise ring and clenched my fist.  _ ‘Don’t worry, Hop. I’ll come back stronger for you!’  _ Mustard faced the students and grinned directly at me.

“Then, did you know that there’s a special way to make a Pokemon Gigantamax?”

“Wait, really?” Mustard smiled as I listened intently at his explanation.

“Yes, there’s a secret recipe that the Master Dojo uses, which brings me to my next trial! Go find Max Mushrooms for the Max Soup, everyone! I’m counting on you!” With that, the students ran off outside.

“Max Mushrooms, huh? It shouldn’t be too hard.” I turned around and began to step towards the door.

“Uh, Victor.” I turned around, and Mrs. Honey looked at my leg and crossed her arms. “Did you hurt yourself today?”

  
“Huh?” I looked down and saw a red scratch on my leg, “Oh, I guess I must’ve gotten this when I fell off my bike.”

“You fell off your bike? Are you okay, son?” Hearing Mrs. Honey’s call me ‘son’ felt odd to me, but it was comforting to say at least.

“I’m fine! I’ll be okay.” Mrs. Honey glared at me as if I sad something horrible to her; she grabbed my arm and shook her head.

“Nonsense, go sit on the couch, I’ll patch you right up.” I didn’t have time to protest as she already hauled me off towards the couch. “Sit!” She pushed me onto the couch and went to work on my wound.

“Mrs. Honey, you don’t have to do this for me.” Mustard laughed and walked up from behind me.

“There’s no use in arguing her. She gets really concerned when people get injured.” I looked back at Mrs. Honey and smiled as she reminded me of my mother.

_ ‘I wonder how’s she doing, I should give her a call sometime.’  _ I thought back to the last time I saw her was when Cynthia defeated me in the Champion Tournament. I was so lost without her around, and the defeat just added more pain to it.

“Vic?” I looked up at Hyde, who had a concerned look on his face. “Are you okay? It looks like you’re crying.” I reached up towards my face and felt a wet spot as a single tear fell down my cheek.

“Oh, I guess I’m just missing a few of my friends and family back at home.” I smiled as I wiped my face.

“Were you close?” I nodded at Hyde and looked down,

“Yeah, very. I took it upon myself to go here for my own reasons.”

“What reasons are those?” I looked up at Hyde and shook my head.

“Sorry, I can’t tell you right now.” Mrs. Honey stood up as she finished wrapping up my leg and smiled at me.

“Hyde, a person’s own reasons should belong to them and them alone. We shouldn’t pry if they don’t want us to.” Hyde nodded and went back towards his computer. “There you go, Victor! Good as new!” I stood up and moved my leg a bit as it felt better to move around in.

“Thanks so much!”

“Of course, now you should go head out and get those Mushrooms!” I nodded and headed out towards the door and into the fields.

“Okay, Victor, let’s go find those Max Mushrooms!” I smiled wide and took a step forward, only to freeze in place. “Wait, where would I find those?”

“Victor!” I turned around and saw Mustard run up to me, “I almost forgot. You probably don’t know where to find the Max Mushrooms, since you’re new to this island.”

_ ‘My hero!’  _ I smiled and nodded at him. “Yeah, it does feel a bit unfair since I have no idea where, or what they look like for that matter.”

“Come follow me; I’ll show you some prime hotspots for the Mushrooms!” I smiled as I followed him. Just then, I felt another mysterious presence staring from behind me. I turned around and saw nothing again.

_ ‘Just what was that? I’ve felt this feeling before; I can’t be him though, I don’t understand…’ _

“Victor?” I shook my head as I stared at Mustard, who scratched his chin at me.

“Yes, master?”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost!” I laughed and shook my head.

“That’s crazy talk; everyone knows ghosts don’t exist outside of Pokemon types!”

“Well, alright, then. Shall we continue?” I nodded and followed behind Mustard, tenser than ever.

_ ‘I don’t like this one bit.’  _


	5. Chapter 5

Master Mustard and I walked through the fields, gazing at the nearby Pokemon as they ran around me. “Now, normally, the Forest of Focus is chock full of those Max Mushrooms. But a swarm of Pokemon came by and ate every last one of them. I swear those Greedant will eat about anything.” I laughed to myself.

_ ‘Sounds like Hop in a way.’  _ Mustard then patted my back and smiled at me.

“So, I think you’ll have a better chance of finding them in the Warm-up Tunnel on the opposite side of the forest, best of luck, Victor!” With that, Mustard walked back towards the dojo.

“Okay, let’s do this!” I adjusted my bag and headed off into the forest. There, I took a deep breath and smiled as the fresh air cleared my lungs. I took out my Rotom Phone and snapped some photos of Pokemon to record them into my dex.

_ ‘Bzzt, Bzzt, how’s your leg feeling, Vic?”  _ I looked up at my Rotom Dex and smiled at it.

“It’s doing better, at least! I’m glad Mrs. Honey was able to patch me up!” Rotom danced around my head and then frowned at me. “Something the matter?”

_ ‘Well, call me crazy, but you don’t seem happy?’  _ I raised a brow at my dex.

“What do you mean?”

_ ‘Well, you say you’re happy, but I’ve been with you for so long that you don’t seem like the happy kid that you used to be!’ _ I chuckled and looked away.

“And when was that? If I may ask?”

_ ‘Well, before you gave yourself up to your father!’  _ I froze as my dex spoke of my long-dead father. I clutched my chest and bit my lip. My Dex must’ve caught wind of my expression, and frantically began to move around.  _ ‘Oh, I’m sorry, Vic! I didn’t mean it! Please don’t sell me for scrap parts!’  _

“No, it’s okay. I get what you mean, though. Those events still haunt me to this day. Battling Eternatus, wanting me killed by my father and Rose. To losing all memories to those brothers...to almost losing Hop, many times over.” I looked up and watched as the rain began to fall on my face. “I wonder how long it’s been since I’ve been truly happy.”

_ ‘Vic, we should go onto the cave before you get sick! We wouldn’t want anyone to worry about you now!’  _ I nodded as I made a mad dash towards the Warm-up Tunnel.

Inside, I carefully walked along the stony path, carefully watching the edge so I wouldn’t fall. I heard a low humming sound as I turned the corner of the tunnel. There, I spotted some glowing red mushrooms. “This must be it! They sure do glow like the power spots back at home.” I crouched down and prepared to pick them.

“Stop right there!” I froze and looked up to find Avery, who ran towards me.

“Oh, Avery, are you here to find the Max Mushrooms too?” He scoffed and shook his head.

“I’ve already found them! Hand them over!”

“No! I found these myself!” Avery took a step forward and held out his hand.

“You don’t deserve them! I was supposed to be the strongest one in this Dojo, but you, you just waltz right in and snatched the glory from under me!” I froze as his words echoed in my head.

_ ‘That sounds like…’ _ I then winced as my chest began to squeeze. 

“Victor?” Avery’s face changed slightly as he walked towards me. I began to sweat as I fell to my knees.

_ ‘Snatching the glory from under you? That...that...that sounds like…’  _

“Hop…” I passed out as I called out his name. The boy, who I stole his glory from under him....my friend who hated me, even if it was for the slightest, made me hold all this guilt. And to what? Just show how weak I really am in front of everyone. 

* * *

I slowly sat up and found myself in a dark room, there I saw a light and under that light, sat a throne. On it, was a person with brown hair like mine. As I focused my vision, I saw myself sitting on the throne. Dressed in my Champion uniform and cape.

_ ‘Weakling…’  _ It spoke to me in a harsh tone that sounded like my father; he scoffed and rested his hand on his chin.

_ ‘Do you really think Hop still loves you after you stole the Championship title from him and abruptly lost in front of him? How can you live up with that fact of being the weakest Champion in history?!’  _

“Hop does still love me! He’d never drop me like that!” 

_ ‘Then why hasn’t he checked up on you?’  _ I bit my lip and looked away.  _ ‘You realized it yourself, haven’t you? You could easily call him, but you’re afraid.’ _

“I’m not!”

_ ‘You’re afraid that your Hop would drop his weakling of a boyfriend cause he couldn’t even hold his own in the Tournament.’  _

“Stop!” I tried to shout, but my voice faltered as I fell over. “Just stop, please! I didn’t want this! I didn’t ask to be Champion!”

_ ‘Then why did you keep on fighting?’  _ I looked up as his expression softened in front of me.

“What?”

_ ‘Why did you continue to fight? There’s a reason why you took on all those challenges...have you forgotten already?’ _

“Forgot what?” He scoffed and shook his head.

_ ‘That is something for us to remember and find out ourselves.’  _

* * *

I immediately woke up and found myself in the cave. I looked over, and the Max Mushrooms were gone. I punched the dirt and shook my head.

“That Avery...I bet he just took them from me!” I checked the time and sighed. “And It looks like the trail is over...better get going then.” I stood up and tripped over something. I looked back and saw a bundle of glowing red mushrooms.

“Is this?” I looked at it, and sure enough, they were the Max Mushrooms Master Mustard was referring to, “Oh, wow!” I smiled wide as I put them in my bag and ran back towards the Dojo. I thought back to what I said to myself;

_ ‘What I am I fighting for?’  _


	6. Chapter 6

I hurried back inside the Dojo, only to find Klara and Avery standing by the kitchen. Avery turned around and scoffed at me.

“Look who decided to show up late! Sorry, Victor, but it looks like I win.”

“Oh, Avery! How’d you even know where to find some?” Klara angrily stomped her foot as she shook the bundle of mushrooms at him. “I had to look all around the entire Isle for these. But,” She looked over to me and laughed. “At least I wasn’t last, live Victor here.” 

“Only cause Avery left me alone after I passed out!” I pointed at Avery, who began to sweat as he averted his gaze at me.

“Avery, is this true?” Mustard stared at him, his eyes narrowed, and tapped his foot at the man.

“Of course not! I found these fair and square at the Warm-up Tunnel! Victor is just lying to save face for being late!”

“Interesting you say that Avery...cause I recall only mentioning the tunnel to Victor.” Mustard scratched his chin as Avery began to panic.

“I mean, don’t we all know about the tunnel? Victor is the only one that’s new to the area. So it’s natural that you would tell him!”

“But that doesn’t give you the right to leave family behind when they are in trouble, Avery.” Mrs. Honey walked up and shook her head at Avery, who looked back at me in disgust.

“You’re seriously going to believe him over me? You have no proof that I left him behind!” Avery laughed at me as I bit my lip. Suddenly, my pocket began to rumble as my Rotom popped out.

_ ‘Bzzt, Bzzt! Actually, I do!’  _ Rotom giggled as it hovered to Mustard and bowed to him.

_ ‘Thank you for watching over my Victor! But I have proof that Avery did leave him behind when Victor was in trouble!’  _ Rotom’s screen lit up and show Avery’s face to Mustard. 

_ ‘Avery…’  _ My voice over the video cried out as I saw my hand reach out towards him. Avery smiled and ran off as the video faded to black.

“I think I’ve seen enough.” Mustard stared at Avery, who looked away. “The video is proof that you left Victor behind.”

“That could be faked! It’s his Rotom, after all!”

_ ‘How dare you!’  _ Rotom got in Avery’s face and growled at him.

_ ‘Rotom’s can growl?’  _ I thought as Rotom got closer and closer to Avery’s face.

_ ‘I saw you leave him behind after Vic passed out! He could’ve died because of you!’  _ Avery shook his head and stared at Klara.

“Klara, help me out here. Tell them that they are lying.”

“Sorry, Avery…” Klara winked at him and hugged me. “The video speaks for itself. I can’t believe you left poor Victor all alone in the tunnel.” 

_ ‘Why is she all friendly with me suddenly?’  _ I wondered as Mrs. Honey walked up to Avery.

“We can discuss your punishment after the trials are over.” Mustard nodded and turned to Avery.

“I’d hate to do this to you, but you left me no choice. But I’m going to disqualify you from the trials; you are to stay and help clean the dojo.”

“Yes, Master…” Avery nodded and walked away. He gave me one last glance and sighed. For a moment, I saw a face of remorse.

_ ‘Avery doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to do this sort of thing...I hope he can reflect on his actions...as for Klara.”  _ I looked up at her as she smiled and bounded happily in place.  _ ‘What’s her motive?’  _

“I’m sorry to hear about what happened, Victor. Are you alright?” Mustard looked at me as I nodded.

“Yeah, I’m alright now. Thanks.”

“Avery is a bright student. I’ve never seen him act like this before.” I clutched my heart and looked back at Avery.

_ ‘Avery’s aura...it feels familiar, like someone who wants to prove to the world that he’s strong in his own way.’  _ I looked back at Mustard, who cleared his throat.

“Well, incidents aside, I’ll have to congratulate you two for collecting the Max Mushrooms, as you both are the only ones who successfully collected them. Klara and Victor, you both pass!”

“Really?!” I smiled wide as Mustard nodded at me.

“To celebrate, let’s all have a proper meal! Let’s use those Max Mushrooms in delicious Mas Soup!” My stomach growled at the sound of food being prepared.

“I guess it’s been a while since I had a proper meal.” I laughed as Klara, and I walked towards the kitchen. Mrs. Honey smiled as the pot began to boil.

“Oh, I’ve really outdone myself this time! Now, all we need is the Max Mushrooms!” Klara then nudged me aside and ran forward.

“Oh, use mine, Honey!”

“My, my Klara I’ve never seen you this excited, what’s the reason?” Klara grinned and shook her head.

“Oh, I just wanted to share my hard work with everyone, that’s all!” Mrs. Honey nodded and turned towards me.

“Victor, I hope you don’t mind if we use Klara’s mushrooms?” I looked over at Klara, who glared at me.

“Not at all, I’m fine with this.”

“Excellent, you can use them for later use! Now, let’s get cooking!” Mustard smiled as he turned towards his wife. “I’m so hungry I can eat as much as an entire Wailord!”

“Oh, honey, don’t be so drastic; you eat more like a Snorlax.” I smiled as Mrs. Honey and Mustard laughed and poked fun at each other. 

_ ‘Seeing those two makes me wonder, what if Mom and Dad were like that too, before…’  _ I wiped my face and shook my head as I walked towards the table.

I looked down at the red soup as it started to glow a bit. “Is this safe to eat?” I looked up at Mrs. Honey, who laughed at me.

“Of course, it is! The glow is from the Mushrooms, don’t worry, it’s delicious.” I watched as Mustard looked around and smiled.

“Let’s eat. Everyone!” I watched Klara and the others enjoying the soup and decided to swallow my fears and picked up my spoon.

_ ‘It can’t be too bad, Vic! You’ve been through worse!’  _ I took a bite and marveled at the intense but delicious flavors of the soup. 

“This is amazing!” In a matter of minutes, I finished the soup. “That was really good, Mrs. Honey!”

“Oh, you’re too kind! It’s a secret recipe only known to some!” Mustard laughed and patted my back.

“I forgot to mention the special properties of this soup. See, if one drinks it…”

“Wait, will I Dynamax too?” I shouted and stood up.

“No, no, that sort of thing doesn’t happen to humans, although that would be pretty funny.” Mustard mused to himself, “It only affects Pokemon with that distinct potential to Gigantamax.”

“Right.” I blushed as I sat back down. “Sorry, I got a bit excited.” 

“That’s alright, now Klara, Victor...it’s getting late, so you should both get some rest for tomorrow’s third and final trial.” I nodded and stood up and turned in for the night.

* * *

I tossed and turned in my bed and looked around at the other students who slept around me.  _ ‘I need some fresh air.’ _ I stood up and grabbed my coat and walked outside and sat down on the porch.

“The air feels nice out...I wonder if Hop’s awake. He probably is.” I laughed as I pulled out my phone and hovered over his name. I waited a bit and pressed the call button.

_ ‘Hello?’ _

_ ‘Hey, Hop-’ _

_ ‘This is Hop speaking, sorry I can’t pick up the phone! I’m probably doing a ton of research, or I’m away, so leave your name and message, and I’ll get back to you shortly!’  _

“Oh.” I took a deep breath and waited a bit.

_ ‘Hey, Hop...it’s Vic. I just wanted to call you to see how you’re doing? Me, well I’m doing alright, everyone is so nice, well except these two new rivals I made! I swear they follow me everywhere! They kind of remind me of you guys back at home sort of; I also wanted to tell you that I miss you and love you and, well...nevermind I’ll call you back, have a good night Hop.’  _

I hung up the phone and hugged myself as I looked up at the starry sky. I held up my hand and smiled at the bracelet I made, along with the ring Hop gave me. “I miss you...so much, Hop.” With that, I stood back up and headed inside.

  
  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

_ ‘Victor, wake up…’  _ I heard a mysterious voice calling out to me that felt familiar to me,

“What?” I opened my eyes and found myself in the Hammerlocke Powerplant once again. “Why am I back here again? I quickly stood up and heard a roar that sent shivers up my spine. I turned around and found Eternatus staring right at me.

_ ‘Weakling…hopeless, fool…’  _ Those words echoed into my head as I tried to cover my ears.

“Not this again, I’m not a weakling!”

_ ‘Is that why you gave yourself up instead of fighting your father?’ _

“No...but!”

_ ‘What about the time you lost your memories? You could do anything to protect those you cared for the most. And, in the end, you were too weakminded to realize that your own best friend secretly hated you!’  _

“I’m not, weak…” I bit my lip and ran towards the elevator entrance. Eternatus roared and began chasing after me as I ran away.

_ ‘Even though you say you aren’t weak, why are you running from me, Champion Victor? Aren’t you supposed to be the strongest of all Galar?’  _ I shook my head as I threw the doors open and tried to run, but I slipped and fell down through a pit. I looked up and saw Eternatus staring at me as I fell.

I woke up with a sudden jolt as I hit the floor of my room. My legs fell back as my back slumped on the ground. “Owwwww..” I groaned as I sat there.

“Victor? Are you okay?” Mrs. Honey’s voice called out towards me as I sat up.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just a rough wake-up call!” I laughed and adjusted my clothes as I fixed my hair in the mirror. I stared at the hair attachment and shook my head. “I’m fine with my short hair.” I touched the cowlick and laughed as I put on my uniform.

“Morning, Victor, did you sleep, alright?” Mrs. Honey greeted me at the door as I walked out of my room.

“Yeah, I guess so, sleeping in a new environment is a bit hard for me, but I managed to get some sleep.” I smiled at her as she handed me an energy bar. “What’s this?”

“It’s an easy-to-eat breakfast bar; we made it ourselves here! It will help give you energy for the upcoming trial.” I took it and unwrapped the plastic film and took a bite of the soft bar.

“This is…” I grimaced as the drew bar touched my tongue with its slightly bitter aftertaste shaking my body to its core. “This is interesting, Mrs. Honey!” I managed to give her a fake smile before she walked away.

“We are still in the planning stages for this, but I’m sure we can make it to the market in about a few months worth of time!”

_ ‘Better make it a few more years…’  _ I quickly threw the bar away when no one was looking and began walking towards Master Mustard’s room. There, I saw Klara humming to herself. Slightly dancing a bit and smiling.

“Whatcha singing about, Klara?” She jumped and glared at me.

“It’s nothing! None of your business!”

“It sounded like you were happy to sing, do you do it as a hobby?” She turned away and shook her head.

“Not anymore, not after, the incident…”

“The incident?” I tilted my head as she got close to my face.

“Don’t tell anyone about my past idol career!”

“WAIT, YOU’RE AN IDOL?” I gasped as Klara quickly covered my mouth.

“I said, be quiet!” I laughed and quietly whispered to her.

“Do you know Roxie from Unova?” Klara’s face dropped in annoyance as she turned away.

“Let’s stop talking about this for now.” I nodded as she turned towards Mustard. 

“Good Morning, you two! I take that you two slept well?” I nodded as I rubbed my face.

“Yeah, I kind of did!”

“Excellent! Since you two are the last ones left, it’s time for the final….last...ultimate...third trial!”

“Final? Last? Ultimate? Third Trial?” I stared at Mustard, who smiled at me.

“So, this is basically the last trial, then?” Mustard nodded at Klara and smiled,

“Yep, that’s pretty much gist of it! You two were the only ones that were able to complete the trial, barring a few hiccups.” Master Mustard stared at me and nodded as he fixed his gaze back at the both of us. “That being said, you both have pushed each other to learn and grow. So it’s time to see who is stronger!?”

“You don’t mean?” Master Mustard laughed and grinned at me.

“That’s right, young Victor! It’s time to have a battle! I’ll be waiting out in the fields once you’re ready!” Klara looked at me and pushed me aside.

“I’m gonna head right over there! I know you’ll probably want to train a bit, Victor! So I won’t mind waiting for you!” She winked at me and ran off, leaving me alone.

“You know, Victor, Klara, and even Avery would just do the bare minimum of things. But ever since you showed up, they stepped up their game. Even though some of their choices were a bit questionable, I’m glad that you joined us.” He walked past me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I know you’ll be okay; you are a strong trainer. I can feel it!”

“Master?” I looked at him as he walked away. 

_ ‘I wonder if he, no, it can’t be.’  _ I pushed whatever thoughts I had away from my mind and walked outside for some air. I looked over and saw Avery, who was airing out some laundry.

“No, that won’t do!” He grunted as he tried to lift the blanket into the air with his mind, but it just sank into the basket. “Okay, second try!” He grunted as the sheet began to be enveloped in a blue light. It flew into the air before flying off. “Oh, no!”

“I got it!” I grabbed it and smiled as I walked up to Avery, “Here you go, Avery!”

“You again? Here to gloat about your recent trial accomplishment? Here to taunt and look down on me?” 

“No, I just wanted to talk to you.”

“Really? I mean, well, whatever it is, I don’t want to hear it. I don’t even know why you even want to speak with me, not after what I did to you.” I walked over to Avery and began handing him the laundry as he clipped them on to dry.

“I think I know the reason why you did these things.” Avery froze and stared at me as I looked out towards the ocean. “You wanted to prove your worth to everyone, and did whatever it takes to get noticed by Master Mustard, even if it’s doing something morally wrong!”

“How did you-” I looked at Avery and chuckled.

“I know you had good intentions, but you probably want to prove to someone that you are worth acknowledging.”

“Are you a psychic too?” I laughed as Avery felt threatened in my presence.

“No, it’s just you remind me of one of my rivals who was in a similar boat as you. He did some questionable things to get noticed, but in turn, it costed him something near and dear to him. But he found his path at least, so I’m sure you’ll find yours!” I walked towards the dojo and waved him off.

“Victor, wait!” I turned around as Avery bit his lip. “Klara is a nice person, but she will play dirty to do whatever it takes to get what she wants, so please be wary of her during your battle.”

“Thanks, Avery, I’ll keep that in mind.” I smiled at him and headed inside the Dojo and towards the fields.

* * *

There I saw the students, Mrs. Honey and Master Mustard, waiting for us. I stared at him as I walked up.

“This battleground is built upon a Power Spot so that it will give you the ability to Dynamax your Pokemon. You are to use four Pokemon each! The winner will be decided who takes down all the opponents Pokemon!” I nodded as I towards Klara.

“You’re finally here, Victor.” She glared at me as I approached her. “When I beat you and get that secret armor. I can finally become a Poison-type Gym Leader! I’ve got to win! I’m going to go all out on this battle! So you ready?”

“I’ve always been ready, Klara.” I smiled as she and I entered the area and faced each other for battle.

“Then prepare yourself! Go, Weezing!” 

“Weezing, huh? Then let’s go, Inteleon!” Just as Inteleon appeared, he winced and fell to his knees and coughed. “Inteleon? What’s going on?-” Suddenly I noticed purple spikes coming from the ground. 

_ ‘Wait, that can’t be-’ _

“Something wrong, Victor? It looks like your Pokemon look a little sick!” Klara laughed as she winked at me.


	8. Chapter 8

_ “Crap, Avery warned me about this…’ _ I watched as Inteleon looked back at me.

“Hang in there buddy, we can get through this, just like we usually do!” He nodded and turned towards Klara’s Weezing.

_ ‘Klara is a Poison-type user, Weezing is a Poison and Fairy-type.’  _ I slapped my cheeks and shook my head.  _ ‘Get it together, Vic, you can’t let a small setback bring you down. Think...what clears spikes…’  _ I then realized who I needed to use. 

“Inteleon, I’m going to switch you out!”

“Weezing, use Taunt!” Klara’s Weezing smirked at Inteleon, causing him to get angry at him. “Nice, try, Vic...but you’re staying here!” I gritted my teeth as her Weezing laughed at me.

_‘She’s crafty; I’ll give her that._ _But, I should be able to recall, Inteleon, somethings wrong…’_ I watched as Inteleon huffed and charged after, Weezing.

“Inteleon, no!”

“Weezing, use Venoshock!” Weezing shot out a blob of purple sludge that flung out towards Inteleon, damaging him severely as he flew back.

“Inteleon!” I ran over to him and held him up. “Buddy, why aren’t you listening to me?” Suddenly as I touched him, my chest began to squeeze as I felt a strange pain in my heart.

_ ‘What’s going on?’  _ I began to pant as Inteleon glared at Klara, who stuck her tongue out at me.

“Something, wrong, Victor? Your Pokemon seem to have lost connection with your Pokemon!” Inteleon stood up and began to charge his Snipe Shot at Weezing.

“Inteleon, no!” I flew back as Inteleon pushed me away and sniped at Weezing, who dodged it. 

_ ‘Inteleon, are you upset that you lost too?’  _ I gripped my jacket and stood up as Klara prepared to attack.

“Weezing, go for a Sludge Bomb!” Inteleon rushed forward and pointed at Weezing and prepared to snipe it.

_ ‘Wait, he’s not…’  _ I then ran towards Klara. 

“Klara, get down!” I pushed her out of the way as a bullet of water hit my shoulder. I skidded across the ground and winced as my body began to ache.

“Victor!” Mrs. Honey shouted and ran towards me, but Master Mustard stopped her. I slowly stood up and gripped my shoulder as I slowly walked towards Inteleon.

“Buddy, I know you’re upset, I know you all are upset…” I looked down at my team and caressed them and smiled. “I’m upset too, but we have to grow and move on from every loss. I didn’t raise you guys to attack other trainers.” I held my hand up and touched Inteleon’s face, which looked down at me and touched my shoulder. “I’m okay; it didn’t hurt. Just please come back to me, buddy.” 

Suddenly Inteleon began to cry as he fell into my arms. I hugged him and patted his head. “It’s okay, you’ve grown so much when I got you as a Sobble, you used to cry so much, but I’m proud of you, Inteleon.” I laughed as he rested his chin on my head. He fainted in my arms as I cried on him. I returned him into my Pokeball and sighed.

“Klara, are you okay?” I stood up as she cleared her throat.

“I’m alright, but what about you?” She pointed at my arm, which began to bleed slightly.

“This is nothing, compared to what we all been through; let’s continue.” Klara nodded as I walked back towards the field.

_ ‘Inteleon, no everyone, I need your strength once more. Things will go bad, but I know we can do it.’  _

“Go, Butterfree!” Butterfree fluttered around my head and rested in my hair as she nuzzled me. “I know, but we have to win this, not just for Inteleon, but for us too! Butterfree, use Defog!” Butterfree flapped her wings as an air current blasted the toxic spikes away.

“Oh! You found a way through my traps!” Klara stomped her foot as she pointed at Butterfree. “Weezing, use Heatwave!” 

“Butterfree, dodge it!” She spun around as a blast of flame grazed past my body. “Use, Psybeam!” I pointed towards Weezing as Butterfree shot a beam of psychic energy towards Weezing.

“Dodge it, Weezing!” Klara smiled as her Pokemon spun out of the way. I smiled as the beam missed.

“Butterfree, use Hurricane!” A dark cloud suddenly appeared above Weezing as a massive gust of air, tossed it up and causing it to crash down.

“Weezing!” Klara shouted as her Pokemon became dizzy. She glared at me and pointed, “Use, Toxic!” Weezing swirled its eyes and shot a glob of poison towards Butterfree.

“Butterfree, go for another Psybeam!” Butterfree’s eyes sparkled as the beam connected with Weezing. My smile dropped as the Toxic connected with Butterfree’s wings.

“Looks like I get the last laugh, Victor!” Klara cackled as she returned her now fainted Weezing. “Go, Scolipede!” The Megapede Pokemon stretched and wiggled as it towered over me.

“Butterfree, are you okay?” She nodded as I turned towards Klara. “Okay, let’s win this thing!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Vic here, sorry for the very long delay, I've been pretty demotivated in wanting to update this fanfic, but I'm back and will try to update this along with my other projects! Thanks for being patient with me!

“Scolipede, use Smart Strike!” Scolipede swung its tail towards Butterfree.

“Dodge it, Butterfree!” I shouted, but the tail connected, knocking her into the ground. 

“Nice, try! Did you forget that Smart Strike always hits?” Klara snickered as I looked over at Butterfree, who shook off the attack.

_ ‘Stay calm, Vic, she’s just trying to get under your skin.’  _

“Butterfree, use Psychic!” Butterfree’s eyes flashed a bright purple and flapped her wings as a tremendous amount of energy blasted towards Scolipede, sending it back a few feet.

“Scolipede, use Poison Jab!” Scolipede rushed towards Butterfree and swiped its tail towards her.

“Butterfree, dodge it and use Hurricane!” I tensed up as I saw Butterfree pant and struggled to flap her wings. 

_ ‘Oh, no, the Toxic is getting to her.’  _ I bit my lip and took a deep breath. 

“Butterfree...I know you can do it!” She looked back at me and nodded as she flapped her wings. The wind began to pick up around Scolipede as it charged towards Butterfree.

“Go for it, Scolipede!” Klara grunted as her Pokemon swung its tail towards Butterfree, but froze as the gust pushed it back. “What? How can it still move?”

“We won’t go down that easily! Butterfree, use Hurricane!” I shouted as a vortex carried Scolipede to the sky, twirling around, causing it to get dizzy.

“Scolipede!” Klara watched as her Pokemon fell towards the ground.

“Butterfree, let’s finish it with-” I lifted my arm and winced as my shoulder started to hurt. I fell to my knee and panted.

_ ‘Okay, this hurts...this hurts...but I have to keep going, I have to!’  _ I looked over at Butterfree and stood up.

“Butterfree, finish it with a Psychic!” Suddenly Butterfree fell to the ground as Scolipede landed. “Butterfree!” I ran towards her and lifted her in my arms. “You okay?” She nodded and nuzzled my face. “It’s okay; you did amazing as always.” I looked up and saw Scolipede which stood up and grinned at me. 

_ ‘I guess we didn’t do enough damage…’ _ Klara giggled and jumped up and down.

“You’re down to your last chosen Pokemon, and I still have two-” Suddenly, there was a loud crash as her Pokemon fell to the ground. “No!” She ran towards her Scolipede and rubbed its head. “You poor baby, I’m sorry the mean old Victor hurt you.”

_ ‘I wasn’t the one who poisoned the battlefield…’  _ I shook my head as we both returned our Pokemon. I stood up and hovered over my Pokeballs.  _ ‘Which one...who should I use…’  _ I thought about it for a moment and smiled as my Lucario connected with me.  _ ‘You’re right, you are the best match up against her Poison-types, plus you’re one of my strongest Pokemon I have...If you trust me to do this, then I will do the same.’  _

“Go, Lucario!” Lucario took a stance and looked back at me and nodded.

_ ‘Lucario...you were the first to be defeated by Cynthia, I was nervous about how you felt towards it, but you’ve shown me that you too, want to get stronger, but…’  _ I looked down at my belt and smiled at my Pokemon.  _ ‘You guys too.’  _

“Lucario, huh? Please, he’s no match for my Slowbro!” Klara tossed out a Pokeball, and a Slowbro appeared, but it was different than what I was used to. It had purple markings over it, and the shell was on its arm rather than the tail.

_ ‘What is that?’  _

“Confused, Victor? Don’t worry; you’ll figure it all out soon. Slowbro, use Focus Blast!” Like a flash, a giant ball of energy shot out from Slowbro’s arm and flew towards Lucario.

“Lucario, use Protect!” He nodded and put up a barrier, just as the attack connected.

_ ‘That was fast...what’s going on? Slowbro’s shouldn’t be this fast…’  _ I stared at Klara, who giggled and smiled at me.

“Looks like I have the upper hand now!” I took a deep breath and slapped my face.

“It’s never easy for us, isn’t it, buddy.” I laughed as Lucario nodded and charged towards Slowbro.

“Lucario, use Shadow Claw!” Lucario slammed his fist into Slowbro’s body, slashing it back. 

_ ‘A direct hit...but knowing Slowbro’s, they are probably quite tanky.’  _

“Slowbro, use Scald!” Slowbro grabbed Lucario and pointed its arm at Lucario’s face and smiled as hot water blasted him back.

“Lucario!” I shouted as Lucario jumped back and shook the water loose. “You okay?” He nodded but sighed as his fur stood up on end. I let out a small laugh at my Pokemon, who glared at me. “Sorry, I know we are supposed to be serious, but you kind of look like Hop’s Dubwool.”

_ ‘Hop.’  _ I looked down at my bracelet and promise ring and smiled at it.  _ ‘I’ll come back stronger than before, just you wait.’  _

“Lucario, use Bone Rush!” I pointed towards Slowbro as Lucario rushed towards the Hermitcrab Pokemon.

“Rushing towards us? How naive!” Klara shook her head and smiled at Slowbro. “Slowbro, darling, use Scald once more!” Slowbro aimed its arm at Lucario and shot hot water towards Lucario.

“Lucario, now!” Lucario slammed his staff down and jumped over the attack. “Nice! Uh oh-” I jumped out of the way to dodge the Scald. “That was close; I don’t think I need a bath just yet.” I sighed and looked up at Lucario, who was in the air. “Lucario, use Dark Pulse!” Lucario slammed his hands together and charged a black ball of energy and shot it towards Slowbro.

“Slowbro!” Klara covered her face as dust flew around her. She looked over, and Slowbro glared at Lucario and looked back at her. “Right, let’s finish this with a Dynamax!” She returned her Pokemon and charged her Pokeball with energy. She winked and tossed it into the sky. I looked up and swallowed hard as the Dynamaxed Slowbro stood before me.

_ ‘We have to Dynamax too...but-’  _ I shook my head as I clutched my chest.  _ ‘Will I still be able to, once again? Or would…’  _ Suddenly I felt Lucario’s heart connect with mine. 

“Lucario?” I smiled as he nodded in understanding at me. “Right, we cant have doubts now; we are supposed to be the strongest in Galar, okay, Lucario lets Dynamax!”


End file.
